Bad Girls Lament
by Coreys Kitten
Summary: Maria and Roman have been an item for about a year, when he grows cold towards her. What will she do? Will there be someone else to comfort her? Based on the song "bad girls lament" by kesha
1. Chapter 1

Bad Girls Lament

Maria didn't know, how she always ended up like that.

The current Divas champion was walking around the backstage area, thinking about the twists and turns, life always seemed to have in store for her. A few moments ago she had had yet another argument with her boyfriend Roman Reigns. He had wanted to go celebrate his and Seth win against Team Hell No on Raw alone without her. Boys only, he had said. That seemed to become a regular thing. She thought bitterly, that he didn't want her by his side anymore.

Ever since she had been called to the main roster with The Shield, he changed a lot. And not for the better.

Maria and Roman had gotten to know each other when they both started working in FCW. That was a little over a year ago. Despite his rough appearance, he had been nothing but gentle and sweet towards her, except she demanded otherwise. He never wanted to leave her side and though she sometimes found it annoying she was also happy that he wanted to be around her and spend his time with only her. She had felt like a princess as he fulfilled her every wish.

They had had a rough time to begin with. It was hard for her that Roman had a child with another woman. She knew for sure that he didn't love his ex-fiance anymore, but they would always share a special bond. Maria just couldn't picture herself as a mother being only 22 at that time, but she had gotten used to having a child around and now got along perfectly with his daughter.

On The Shields quest for glory, Roman seemed to have lost interest in her. Maria found herself sad and depressed more often. He never made time for her and barely even noticed her. She felt invisible and it broke her heart. She loved that guy so much, but at some point she hat realised that she couldn't stay in this state of mind. Roman was the love of her young life, but she was not gonna let him get her down.

That was when she started to notice that another member of The Shield obviously wasn't as busy with himself as Roman. Dean was a gorgeous man and Maria was very attracted to him. It was okay to look but not to touch, right?

When she didn't reject his advances right away, Dean grew more confident. An obvious glance in her direction, when she wore her ring attire, innocent touches and bantering.

He had seen the way Roman treated Maria and though he was not in love with her, he wondered how his friend could grow so cold towards such a charming young woman. Dean had always been sexually attracted to her even back in FCW. He thought it was obvious since even Seth asked him about it, yet she never noticed. She was too preoccupied with perfect Roman, that she didn't see anybody else.

Now that Maria thought about it, she could see it clearly too. The eyes of love are blind, or so they say. She could see the truth in those words.

She was startled out of her thoughts by a hand grabbing her and pulling her into an unoccupied locker room. Before she could say a word, Dean had already pressed his lips to hers. God, how she loved his lips. And the way he slicked his hair back for matches. To Maria, Dean was the epitome of perfection. Everything a woman could desire.

The kiss grew hungrier and Dean pushed Maria up against the wall, her legs wrapping themselves around him. He had observed the last fight carefully and it was by far the worst Roman and Maria had ever had. After she had stormed out of The Shields lockerroom, he had followed her.

She loved Roman, yet she kept making out with Dean. That was as far as they ever went. She wasn't a cheater and felt bad enough in the situation as it was. On the other side, she always found comfort in Deans touches and kisses. Each time she promised to him and herself, that this was the last time she would allow it. Yet she was a bad liar and they both knew it. He would just smirk at her and let her go.

Right now she was thinking of breaking up with Roman for good. She wouldn't be treated like that anymore and be forced to seek affection and comfort in the arms of another man. But on the other side she was sure she couldn't break up with Roman. She loved him to the moon and back. Maybe if she just woke him up and got her Ro back she could be happy again.

Lightly pushing Dean back she broke the kiss. He set her down, looking at her questioning, she said: "This has to end Dean. I love Ro and I will fight for what we once had. This was the last time."

"You always say that Ria." He mumbled against her lips. "I'll let you go this time, because you seem to be determined to get yourself hurt even more. But make sure you repay me good the next time" Dean added smirking confidently.

"There won't be a next time, Dean" Maria said and left.

"Yes, there will. There alsways is." Dean mumbled to himself and left too.


	2. Chapter 2

_Hi guys, so here's the second chapter. Gotta say, that it's always darkest before the dawn. Don't hate me for this chapter. _

_Have fun reading and please review._

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After Maria left Dean, she wondered the halls aimlessly. She thought about her current situation and what to make of it. Things couldn't continue like that. She would not let herself be surprised by Dean again and would avoid him for the time being. She wanted to get her Roman back. The man that had taken her heart by storm. All those feelings he had had for her couldn't just be gone, could they? She decided to test the waters with him tomorrow and see if she could find a clue where to start her work.

She knew that she would not be able to come up with a plan tonight. She was too distraught. And Roman would probably not even talk to her. She wanted to cry. What had she done to deserve that kind of treatment? What if he was cheating on her? She had always done everything he expected from her. Was she too boring? Did he simply not love her anymore?

Roman had asked her to move in with him just 4 month ago. After another month it had all started. He was acting differently over night. She had not seen it coming. He would be irated all the time, sometimes even shouting at her. Maria had thought that maybe he had just had a bad day. Then he started avoiding her completely, being indifferent towards her. Some days they didn't talk at all. Or she would try while he just ignored her. Maria had been hurt by his behavior but thought he would get back on the right train soon. He was probably just stressed out about his push and the new duties coming along with it.

But when things didn't get better, Maria tried to bring the two of them closer by doing sweet things for him. She dressed up more, wanted to give him massage after a particulary hard match and other stuff. Each and every time he had pushed her away with a rude comment.

Their permanent fights had reached their highest point though when Roman declared that he would from now on share a hotel room with Seth, saying The Shield had to stay together. Maria had been devastated. She had started crying like there was no tomorrow and demanded answers. Ro just shook his head, took his things and left her to herself.

Yet he had come back to her the next day, telling her that he would allow her to stay with him if she didn't keep him from his work and his stable mates. The nerve. She had been fuming at what he had said. She was not a dog he could command around. On the other side she was happy to have him back. At leatst physically. They stayed at the same room but any kind of physical contact was really rare. They even stopped having sex. He rejected her time and time again and about 2 weeks ago she had stopped trying. Saving herself the embarassment. Currently Dean had been the only reason she still felt at least a little bit feminine. All her confidence had vanished over time.

Tonight Maria decided, she would be the one to take a break. She needed one peaceful night to herself to get her head straight. She entered the Divas locker room and asked Kaitlyn if she could crash with her tonight. The two of them left the arena together before the show even ended. She knew The Shield would still be at the arena to tape another promo. Together the two girls got to the room Maria shared with Roman, packed her stuff and left without leaving a note.

When Kaitlyn saw the way Ria was acting she decided that the girl needed a distraction. They dressed up and hit a club together with AJ, Natalya and the Bella Twins. The girls were all having fun dancing and drinking and for once since what seemed like an eternity Maria forgot all her problems and felt just free and happy being surrounded by her friends.

Until she saw the boys. At the other end of the room just across the dancefloor were Roman, Seth, Dean, Punk, Dolph and Curtis Axel. They were sitting in a booth, drinking. Not that this was bad. Bad was the fact, that they had a beautiful but equally fake stripper dancing on their table just for them and all of them kept the money going. Maria felt her heart shatter completely when she saw the stripper sitting down in Romans lap, feeding him some of the snacks from the table and he licked her fingers clean.

She saw red. When the girls noticed what was going on, they wanted to get Maria out of the club. The latter would have none of it though. Fuming she stormed across the dancefloor to their table. Seth and Dolph noticed her and told the girl to get off Roman before all hell could break loose. It was to late though. The girl recognized the danger and left the table hurriedly, stopping Maria in her tracks.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know he was taken. He said he was single."

Maria nodded and continued her way over. When Roman finally saw why the girl had left that quickly all color drained from his face.

"So that's it, huh? You treat me like the dirt under your shoes, scream at me, throw me out of our hotel room and don't even sleep with me anymore. And why? Because you don't get enough anymore? Do you have a thing for plastic now? You don't want me anymore yet you don't break up with me. Do you want to hurt me? Does that amuse you? Beacause if that's the case it certainly worked well! What, Roman? What is it?" Maria screamed in his face, making the orher guys flinch.

Roman kept quiet though it broke his heart to see his girl that upset because of him.

"So, now you're not even man enough to talk and say to my face that you would rather fuck plastic whores than me? Some man you are. You're pathetic. But hey, don't worry. You don't need to hide anymore. We're done!" she took his drink throwing it in Romans shocked face.

With tears streaming down her face she headed of to find the girls. She needed to get out of here. She felt like she couldn't breathe. Maria knew that this could potentionally be the beginning of a panic attack. She had those sometimes. She found Kaitlyn and told her she would leave and that they should keep on celebrating without her. Kaitlyn had insisted to accompany Maria to the hotel though, since she thought her friend was in no state to be alone. When they arrived at the hotel Maria was still crying. She changed into her pjs and laid down in her bed, silently crying herself to sleep.

Shortly after that Roman arrived at the hotel only to find his room empty. All her stuff was gone. He was alone.

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_Just wanted to say another thing on the subject of Dean. I think it's absolutely funny that everyone I talk to says, OMG he's so ugly and so not my type. But from all the members of The Shield he's the one you can find most stories about on :P_


	3. Chapter 3

_I wanna thank everybody for following and favouriting Bad Girls Lament. Oh, and of course for your reviews. _

_I've opened up a poll on my profile. Please vote who you want Maria to end up with. _

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When Maria woke early the next morning she had made a decision. For now, she had to get out of here. She couldn't see Roman or any of the other guys that had been there when he publicly humiliated her in front of their co-workers. She remembered the looks on the other guys faces. They had looked at her pitiful. Even Curtis had managed a look of compassion. Only in Dean's eyes had shone something else. She remembered what he had said to her.

_ "I'll let you go this time, because you seem to be determined to get yourself hurt even more. But make sure you repay me good the next time"_

How could he have been so right? Was there something else going on? Something he knew would hurt her? Should she ask him about it and would he tell her the truth?

Maria felt a headache coming up with all those questions. She packed her stuff and left Kaitlyn a note, saying that she would be gone for a few days. She wanted to call Kaitlyn when she arrived at her destination. Where that would be she didn't mention. She left the hotel bright and early as to not have to see any co-workers. She was sure last nights events had reached the whole roster by now. She wouldn't be surprised if her little stunt had already reached the gossip magazines.

She put her luggage into her rental and was off to the house she shared with Roman shortly after. If there was anywhere she could find answers and maybe even make a decision about how to go on, it would be there. The place held so many memories. She knew she needed to face Roman sooner or later, but she was not ready yet. While driving she called Vince to let him know, she would take a few days off. To say he was not amused was an understatement but he let it go. She was the Divas Champion and had special rights.

After a long 4 hour drive and way too much time to think she was home. She stood in front of the beautiful two story house and felt her heartbeat quicken. It was the first time she came home and wasn't sure if she wanted to enter her home. Yet she knew she had to. She opened the front door and walked in slowly, looking around. Nothing changed and everything was in place. That gave her some comfort.

She walked around the house, searching for clues to what could have caused the change in Romans behavior. Or maybe Maria was even looking for evidence of him cheating on her. She didn't know. That was the problem. She didn't know anything that could have caused the change and the uncertainty drove her crazy. After almost two hours of searching every whole in the wall for anything, Maria gave up, feeling exhausted and even worse than before. If she couldn't find anything didn't that mean that she was the reason why he acted like a stranger?

In her head she replayed every possible scene between the two of them, not finding anything out of place.

She was startled out of her thoughts by her phone. Hearing special OP, she knew it could only be two people calling, Dean or Seth. But why would they call her? It wasn't as if they cared about her, right? She took her phone and answered it when she saw the caller ID. Dean.

"Hello?"

"Ria, what the hell? What do you think you're doing? How do you feel? Are you okay? You can't just leave! Where are you?" Dean asked agitated.

Silly as it was, she felt content that somebody seemed to care about her. Even if it wasn't the man she wanted. Or did she?

He had rushed his questions out so quickly that Maria just had to laugh at him.

"That's not funny, girl!" Dean growled.

"I'm sorry. You just sounded like a clucking hen asking where her chick is. Cute." She smiled.

He could hear her smiling through the phone and it calmed him down to know that she was as okay as she could probably be.

"Okay. Is Ro anywhere near or does he want you to call me?"

"No, I'm calling for purely selfish reasons. I needed to know you were okay and didn't do anything stupid." He said concerned.

"That's nice, really. To answer at least some of your questions. I've taken a few days off to clear my head. I guess you know where I am. I know you're a clever guy, you'll figure it out. How do I feel? That's an interesting question and the only answer I have is: I don't know. I haven't had the time to figure it out yet, but I will. That was the reason I took some time off in the first place."

"Ria, if you need me I'll be there. You know that, right?"

Maria was touched by his words. She thought all he wanted was to talk her into his bed. But right now he seemed genuinely concerned.

"Thank you Dean, I appreciate it. But right now I need some time alone to think. Get my head straight. I might take you up on this offer some time though."

They talked some more with Dean trying to distract her. He had even managed to make her laugh, he thought proudly.

After another 20 minutes they hung up and Maria was left to her thoughts. She was positively surprised to hear from Dean. And in such a comforting manner. She hadn't expected that. He rarely showed his softer side and right now she felt privileged that he trusted her enough to let it show. She realized that somehow Dean had pushed Roman out of her thoughts, even if it was just for a few short moments. She found that she had enjoyed the peace of mind. It was what she had needed.

Maria got up from the couch she had previously been sitting on and went into the kitchen to prepare herself some food. Afterwards she took a shower and put on her pjs, getting comfortable in the guest room. She didn't want to sleep in their bed, knowing that there might be or have been someone else for him. She knew, she was being a hypocrite, seeing she had made out with Dean more times than she could count. But it never went further than making out. She suddenly wondered why, but as fast as the thought had crossed her mind it had vanished again.

Though she was dead tired, she called her older sister. Arianna always knew what to do. Maybe she could help Maria figure out what to do.

After the sisters had ended their call Maria felt even more insecure. She had told Arianna everything from the point of moving in with Roman, to him being strange, her getting closer to Dean and the fallout with Roman the night before.

Her sister had given her an extensive explanation of her options. In the end it came down to 1. forgive Roman, talk everything out and take him back; 2. figure out what she wants from Dean and maybe give them a try and 3. leave both of them and concentrate simply on her career.

With that, her sister had planted options into her head she hadn't even considered. She thought that being with Roman would be the only possibility. But now she had a lot of thinking to do and at some point into her musings she fell into an uneasy sleep.

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_Thanks for reading. Please review :)_


	4. Chapter 4

_Hi guys. Sorry for the long wait. I had a lot of things going on. _

_That poll on my profile is still opened and will be for quiet some time. Three more chapters at least until we get all three members of The Shield in action with Ria._

_I wanna thank everyone who follows, favorited and reviewed this story. You guys keep me going. I hope you have fun reading the next chapter :)_

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Maria woke up the next morning feeling completely exhausted. The weight of the decision she would have to make heavy on her shoulders.

The last night had held weird dreams for her. The most enlightening one also being the weirdest.

_She was standing in the driveway of her house holding her Divas title belt. On the porch stood Roman, holding his hand out to her, saying: "Come home, babe." On her other side on the sidewalk stood Dean, holding his hand out to her too. "It doesn't have to be like this. Don't torture yourself over him. You did nothing wrong. You know I could make you happy." He smiled at her reassuringly. She was so confused. Both men were coming towards her when she didn't make a move in either direction. She was frozen, couldn't move, couldn't speak. She held her belt tighter to her body, gripping it like her life depended on it. As both men reached her, almost touching her she managed to say one word, making them freeze. No. A little word. A big meaning. _

She woke up at that point knowing what she had to do. She got up, fixed herself some breakfast and had yet another long talk with her sister. The both of them decided that it would be best for Maria to get out of this house as soon as possible. It was torturing her with all the memories the place held. She packed as much of her stuff she could and started loading her truck. She would take as much as she could and temporarily move in with her sister. As soon as she thought herself capable of making reasonable decisions again she would look out for her own place. Maybe she could even move into another state. She could get the rest while Roman was still on the road. Like that she wouldn't have to see him. She wasn't sure if she would ever be able to face him again without feeling an unbearable pain in her chest. Maria knew that for now she took the cowards way out avoiding work and her co-workers completely. She could only imagine what kind of rumors were flying around but she would deal with those things once she deemed herself ready to go back. For now she just needed rest.

Even though she tried to tell herself that she would from now on banish Roman from her thoughts, he somehow always managed to sneak back in. How could he do this to her? Sure, she wasn't perfect but he had never complained about anything. Just a few months ago everything was fine. They even talked about starting a family at some point. Maria had never been happier. But shortly after that all came crashing down out of nowhere.

When her truck was full to the brim, she wanted to take one last look around the place that once felt like home. Everything seemed so normal, so peaceful. Maria felt tears welling up in her eyes. She felt helpless and vulnerable, alone. No one cared about her. Roman didn't even try to contact her after last night. She had left without a note and still he wasn't even worried enough to send her a text message. That thought destroyed her. She had to get out of here. Now. She ran to the front door opening it and running straight into a wall. She stumbled backwards but was caught before she could hit the floor. Confused she looked up only to see Roman hovering over her, holding her to him.

It was too much. She tried to break free from his grip, tears streaming down her face. Roman didn't let her go and pulled her flush to his body instead, holding her while she cried and sobbed. He tried to calm her, rubbing soothing circles on her back.

"Why? What did I do wrong? Is there another woman?" Maria managed to ask between sobs.

Roman shook his head no. She didn't know if that made her feel better or worse. That would mean that he didn't cheat on her, but it also meant that she must be the reason for his behavior.

She looked up meeting his gaze. She stared into his beautiful eyes and felt herself melt under his soft stare. His eyes held so much emotion she had to look away.

"Why are you doing this to me?" she asked, now sobbing again.

Roman still kept silent. He lifted her chin with his finger and pressed his lips gently to hers. Maria was lost. Lost in him. The man that hurt her so badly. Yet she couldn't bring herself to push him away. He always had that calming and comforting effect on her even if he was the reason she was upset. He was home to her.

He lifted her up and carried her to their bedroom, only breaking the kiss to take short breaths.

Though Ria knew that she should stop what was happening it felt too good. Only one more time, she told herself. This was goodbye. Her mind went blank and she just let Roman love her. The Roman she knew and loved. She needed to feel him once more before she left.

And love her that night he did, being gentle and loving. A silent plea not to go. The number of times he told her he loved her that night had been more than in the last couple of months. Maria pretended to believe him for the moment. Deep down she thought differently.

After hours of love making both of them fell asleep in each other's arms feeling exhausted but contend.

The last thought that came to Marias mind was that this had been the last time she would ever feel his hands on her. Her decision suddenly seemed so final. But she had set her mind and wouldn't back down now. She fell asleep trying to enjoy the last intimate moments she would share with the love of her life.

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When she woke up the next morning she got dressed, getting ready to leave. She looked down at Romans sleeping form on their bed one last time. She kissed his forehead, saying she loved him, grabbed the butterfly belt on her way out and left the place she had called home for the last time.

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_Soo? Love it? Hate it? Please review :)_

_In the next chapter we will be seeing a bit more of The Shield and their thoughts on the whole situation. There's also gonna be a bit of action between Maria, Dean and Seth later._


	5. Chapter 5

When Maria arrived at Ariannas place she was close to a mental breakdown. The time she spent driving was way too long and her thoughts were running wild. At some point she even thought about turning her car around to return to Roman. But she had been strong and told herself that the place wasn't her home anymore just as Roman wasn't her Roman anymore. Now she just felt numb. Nothing mattered right now.

Arianna had already awaited Marias arrival and waited for her on the porch. When she saw the condition her sister was in she rushed to her side and hugged her, telling her that everything would be okay again. Since it was early afternoon already and Ria had been on the road for at least 6 hours Arianna sent her off to bed to get some rest. Maria did as she was told and was asleep in only a matter of minutes. She was just too exhausted to fight it.

When she woke up she felt almost refreshed. She hadn't slept that peaceful in a while. Making her way down to the kitchen she already smelled that Arianna had prepaired dinner. It smelled like Lasagna. Her favorite. She smiled a little. Maria realized that in this environment she almost felt carefree and happy. It had an air of home where evreything else seemed to fade away and made room for better feelings. When she entered the kitchen Arianna was just about to set two plates with Lasagna on the small table.

"Hey sis. You got up just in time" Arianna smiled reassuringly.

"It smells delicious, Ari. Thank you."

They ate together in content silence though Maria knew she couldn't avoid the serious talk forever.

After dinner was finished and the dishes were washed, Arianna poured both girls a glass of whine and they sat down together in the living room.

"I know you would prefer not to talk about it, but you need to think about what you're gonna do from now on." Ari started.

"I really don't know. I was at the house yesterday and had already finished packing. I was just about to leave when Ro came home. I kinda sobbed my heart out. He didn't even say anything. Not one word. When I asked him if there was anybody else he shook his head no. Somehow we ended up having sex and now I know even less than before what to do."

"There's nobody else? Really? That's a surprise after the stripper incident. Will you take him back if he asked you to?"

"I don't know to be honest. I'm so hurt right now and if he doesn't talk to me I don't think I can just go on as if nothing happened. He doesn't even give me a reason. I can't do this anymore. I just can't." Maria was dangerously close to crying again.

"What about that Dean guy?"

"I don't think I'm ready to even think about being in another relationship right now. I need some time. Or more like a lot. I'm just glad that Dean offers his shoulder for me to cry on even with our history. You and him are my rocks. He's like overly confident, close to arrogant even, a smartass and he knows how to push me way too well." She laughed at this.

"But on the other side he can be one big softy. However. I need a break from guys. For the moment I will concentrate on keeping my belt and being a good champ. My career is the only thing for me at the moment. That's my dream and no guy will ever come between me and my job." She said resolutely.

"That's right girl. You gotta look forward and focusing on your job is the right thing to do. When the time is right and you're ready you will see there are plenty of other fish in the see just waiting for you to catch them" Ari winked at Ria.

Just as she was about to reply her phone rang. Looking at the caller ID she smiled, showing it to Ari. Dean.

"Hi Dean."

"Hi Ria" he seaid softly. "How are you?"

"Better, I think. I've made a decision and I feel like doing the right thing."

"That's good to hear. I already heard about your decision. Roman looked like hell when he arrived for Smackdown tapings 2 hours ago."

"Yeah, that's my fault I guess. But I did the right thing. I couldn't go on like this."

"There's no need to explain that to me. You don't owe me an explanation."

Maria thought about that. He was right, but somehow she wanted him to know. To know everything.

"I slept with him last night and left this morning, things already packed without another word." She blurted out before she realized what happened. Ari had a hard time controlling her laughter. She finally gave up and left Maria to her call.

Dean laughed. "Ouch, that explains the mood. But hey, that's okay. I used to do that all the time."

He was still laughing when she heard another voice in the background.

"You're damn right. And I was always the one who had to look for somebody to room with on short notice. No fun." Seth whined and made Maria laugh.

"Oooohh, isn't he just too cute?" she managed to get out between small laughs which made both men on the other end of the line smile. They had genuinely liked her since the first talk they had with each other.

"Put the woman on speaker, Ambrose!" Seth commanded which made Maria laugh uncontrollably. She seemed to be unable to calm down.

"Hi Seth. My god, you two are just too cute. Thanks for the laugh. I really needed that."

"Anytime sweetie. Sooo where are you? What are you doing? When are you coming back?" Seth rushed out.

"Is that an interrogation?" Maria asked sternly, though the boys heard her smile through the phone. It was a nice feeling to know that they were able to light her mood. She didn't deserve to be treated like that. They didn't even know what had caused Romans behavior and that in itself was strange. Usually there were no secrets in The Shield.

"On a serious note. I'm currently staying with my sister Arianna. We just had a nice little chat with a huge pep talk and now I feel better. I know what I have to do from now on."

"And what would that be?" Dean asked curiously.

"Look forward to retaining my title and do a good job."

"So you're not thinking about getting back Roman?" Seth now asked sounding almost hopeful. Weird, Maria thought.

"I don't think so. He doesn't even tell me what his problem is and I'm certainly not willing to let it go like that. To be honest, guys are the last thing on my mind right now."

"Oh, okay." Both guys said simultaniously.

They talked some more and when they ended the call she had to promise to return as soon as she felt better.

After they ended the call Maria felt better. It was nice to know that at least some people cared about her enough to take the time to cheer her up.

She talked some more with Ari and soon went off to bed.

When Dean and Seth had ended the call with Maria they were both lost in their own thoughts.

"Do you think she was serious about her not wanting a new guy?" Seth asked out of the blue.

Dean looked at him curiously. He was surprised that his friend had obviously taken a liking to the Divas Champion too. Thinking about it, Dean realized that Seth hadn't had a girlfriend in quite some time. He had been heartbroken when he found his girl back home in their bed with another guy. Seth was a relationship guy but his last date was probably a year ago. He was a caring and faithful type when in a relationship and playful and untamed when he was single. He would be the perfect fit for a nice girl like Maria, Dean realized angrily. He didn't know what got into him when he snapped at Seth.

"If she says so I would guess she means it."

"Maybe. Maybe not. I don't know. She's just a really nice girl. Sweet, caring but also short tempered when poked and damn hot. I would love to cheer her up some other ways." Seth smirked.

"Don't you dare messing with her Rollins. If you hurt the girl you're not only gonna have Roman to answer to but me as well." Dean was close to punching Seth now. Why didn't he have a filter between his brain and his mouth? The thought of Seth with Ria made Dean's blood boil. But even more so the idea of Seth just fucking her and then leaving her. He was as good at that as Dean himself and it was something that his Ria didn't deserve.

"Whoa. Realx. I don't think of her as another bed babe. I just want to get to know her better. I think we do match quite nicely, personality wise. I just never had the chance to get closer to her since Roman always kept her under lock and key."

None of them noticed Roman entering the room while Dean's little rant.

"I can't believe you." Was the last thing he said before he lunged at Seth.

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_Just as I promised more of our favorite guys. Hope you like it._

_Please review and vote on my profile on who would be the perfect match for Maria._


	6. Chapter 6

_Thanks to everyone who reviewed, favorited or follows this story. I really love you. _

_I'm so so sorry for not updating. My computer broke and I just got it back yesterday. I hope I can make it up to you with a longer chapter._

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With his face contorted in rage, Roman lunged at Seth. Neither Dean nor Seth had noticed Roman entering the room and had talked without thinking. The moment Romans fist connected with Seth's face time seemed to stand still. Seth fell backwards, Roman looked as if he would kill Seth and Dean was frozen, not quite believing what happened. Still seething Roman made another dash at Seth only to be held back by Dean who had also regained his senses.

"What the hell?" Roman yelled "Let go, I swear I'm gonna kill him. You ever so much as think about my girl again I'll make sure you'll never be able to think about being with any woman again!"

He was fighting fiercly against Dean's deathgrip but without much success.

"And what about you, huh? Are you taking his side? Wanna take a bite out of her too?" he snapped at Dean.

This was so not good. Things were quickly getting out of hand and the worst part was that now their personal matters would influence the job. They were a team after all. A team with each guy wanting the same girl. Dean looked at Seth over Romans shoulder. They quietly decided to not say anything right now. Roman wouldn't believe a thing anyway and things could still get so much worse.

After a few minutes Roman's breathing went back to normal. Seth had gotten himself some ice to cool his already forming shiner and now sat down on the huge leather couch.

"You calmed down enough for me to let you go?" Dean asked. This was weird to him. Normally he would be the guy getting in trouble while Roman tried to play peacemaker. Now that the roles were reversed he realized how hard it was to stay calm. Somehow the whole situation was so wrong. They had been good friends since meeting in FCW and their storyline only worked that well because the three of them really were a team. Now with Roman somehow losing Maria, Dean developing feelings for her just now and Seth unknown affection for her before their friendship seemed to crack. He wanted Maria for himself, that much was clear. But at what cost? He was sure that Seth would be able to move on if Dean were to be with Ria. With Roman he wasn't so sure. Maria had been a huge part of his life. They had lived together and Roman even thought about giving marriage a try again.

Ro nodded his head yes and Dean lets go almost not catching the gesture since he was so mlost in his own thoughts.

"So, I think we've got some talking to do." Dean said, trying to relieve some of the tension.

"Just so you know, I'm not apologizing to him." Roman said stubbornly almost making Dean laugh.

"Fine by me. Look fuckers. We have a match to prepair for. I know this is a fucking shitty time, but we gotta focus on the match first. Afterwards we go back to the hotel, having a nice little chat. We're still The Shield, a team. So start fucking acting like one." Dean finished his rant. Being peacemaker was really exhausting.

They warmed up together in complete silence and then went out for their match. For someone who didn't know they played their roles perfectly though the guys themselves felt uncomfortable in the tense situation.

They won their match clearly but not as impressive as they usually did. After showering they went back to the hotel, the situation getting worse the closer they got. Even Seth with his usually bubbly personality was quiet, which shows how seriously he was taking the situation. When they arrived at the hotel they went straight to their rooms without so much as looking at the bar.

Once settled, Dean was the first to speak up:

"So, what now?"

Silence.

"Oh come on, this is like kindergarten." Dean huffed.

"Fine. I'm seriously pissed. Who the hell do you think you are talking like that about my girl? How long has this been going on? Where you planning to go behind my back and try to steal her from me? We're still together and as long as that is the case you so much as look at her the wrong way and I'll make sure you won't ever wrestle again." Roman yelled at Seth who didn't even flinch.

They are still together? Dean thought. Well that sounded differently from Maria.

"I didn't know you were still together. Last time I checked she had moved out of your house without another word after she told you the day before that she wouldn't go on like that. Isn't that what he told us Dean?" Seth was just as angry.

Dean only nodded trying to stay as neutral as possible while thinking about his two best friends fighting because of a girl, no a woman he himself cared for. A woman he had touched and kissed on more than one occasion while she was still with his friend. He could tell by his thoughts just as much as his heart how deep his feelings ran for her. Dean just wanted her to be happy and to see her smile and laugh like she used to. Even if it wasn't with him. He knew that he was not exactly boyfriend material but he was sure, if he ever changed his ways for a woman, it would be for her. Seth on the other hand was a perfect match for her, even better than Ro, Dean thought. He was a relationship guy and knew how to make his girls happy. The only thing that seemed to be getting in the way every time was the distance while he was on the road. But with Ria that wouldn't be a problem.

He shook his head and tried to concentrate on the task at hand.

"That's just temporary. She's hurt and confused and doesn't know what she wants right now." Roman insisted. "She'll come back when she's ready."

_Does he honestly believe that?_ Both of his friends thought.

"Speaking of which. Why the hell did you treat her like shit the last couple of months?" Seth asked, getting angry all over again. He couldn't understand how Ro could be so heartless towards a woman he claimed to love more than any other before. If he had been in Roman's shoes, he would've cherished and lover her the way she deserved.

Roman looked at his friends, shaking his head. He couldn't tell anybody. Not even them. He was too ashamed of himself. Letting his head fall into his hands he sighed.

"Well that's an interesting question. I'd like to know that one too." Dean piped up, surprising Roman.

Suddenly realization dawned on his face.

"You too?" he screamed.

"I'd be a fucking fool not to notice her. I like her. Like really like her. If you hadn't been faster than me in FCW I would've made my move. I had already been ineterested in her then and over the last year I fell in love with her." Dean blurted out. Shit he had lost his cool, both of his stable mates looking at him like he had grown a second head. Dean Ambrose in love? And admitting it to himself and his friends? That was a shock for both Roman and Seth. Ro regained his senses first and looked at Dean, ready to tear him apart.

" And now don't you dare get all pissed at me. You had you're chance and you fucked up."

Now it was all out in the open. But what question was still unanswered.

Seth stood up, walking towards Roman.

"I know you're pissed right now. But this isn't our fault. If you hadn't fucked up we wouldn't even sit here, duscussing how we obviously all have feelings for your ex. Now spit the fuck out what happened! Did you fuck someone else?"

Dean's respect for the younger man grew immensely. Standing up to Roman when he's in such a mood about a personal matter requires some balls.

Roman shook his head again ready to just ignore the question again, when Seth picked him up by the collar of his shirt stunning both Dean and Roman.

"Oh no. Not again. You're gonna tell me why you keep hurting that wonderful girl or I'll beat it out of you. I'm tired of your selfish fuck." Seth yelled in Ro's face.

"Seth, let go." Dean said calmly, a little concerned about the reaction this might cause from Roman. You don't just attack the big Samoan fighter. Friend or not, this could end badly especially when the atmosphere is as tense as in that moment. Surprisingly Roman just sighed in defeat after Seth had let go of him and walked over to the window, looking over the dark city.

"I've really fucked it up. First of all I love that woman with all my heart and it makes what I did almost unbearable."

Seth and Dean looked at each other with furrowed brows. That sounded bad. Really bad. Seth took a seat on one of the beds while Dean leaned against the wall, both ready for whatever Roman threw at them.

"Remember the show we had in Philadelphia a few months ago?" They nodded.

"We were celebrating that night with some of the guys. Ria had stayed back to look after Kaitlyn because she didn't feel well. I got really drunk that night and somehow found myself near the restrooms with a tall blonde girl, probably not older than 19. I don't know how we got there or how we even met. I had her up against the wall, her legs wrapped around me. We were making out and I only realised what was happening when she started moaning just seconds before I would have buried myself inside of her. I pushed her of and left her there. I was so shocked that I had even thought about cheating on my wonderful girl."

To say Dean and Seth were shocked was an understatement. Dean was the type for things like that, maybe even Seth if his relationship was bad enough, but Roman? None of them would've thought of him as a cheater. On the other hand they didn't quite catch what was the ultimate reason for pushing Maria away afterwards. Sure he had made a mistake. But he had realized it and stopped before it was too late.

"Afterwards I somehow ended up in our hotel room. By that time I wasn't only shocked and ashamed of myself, but I was angry at any and everything. The booze had taken its toll on me and I couldn't control myself anymore. Desperate for a release of any kind I took Ria that night. Savagely and at first against her will. She enjoyed it later on or so she said and I forgot about it quickly before I fell asleep. When I woke up the next morning she wasn't in bed anymore and I heard the shower running. I thought I'd take a nice shower with her before going to the gym. I couldn't remember much of the last night and went into the bathroom blissfully ignorant. When I pulled the shower curtain away I almost choked. There she stood, my beautiful angel with her delicate body covered in dark purple bruises and bitemarks all over her body, barely able to stand alone without the help of the wall. I had hurt her that night. Badly. She insisted she was fine but from that point on I just couldn't bring myself to touch her anymore. I was so ashamed and disgusted with myself and so overly afraid I'd hurt her again. Everytime we had any kind of physical contact that image of her in the shower flashed up in my mind and I couldn't help but pull away. We haven't had sex since then until the day she moved out. I was so desperate. Now I know how wrong I've been for acting the way I did instead of talking to her about it. In that moment it was easier to push her away than to deal with the reality of what I've done.I've only ever wanted to make her happy and the only thing I did in the end was attacking her like an animal. I'll never forgive myself for that. I know that I don't deserve her and she probably doesn't want anything to do with me, but I can't bring myself to let her go just yet. And now with you two so ready to take my place I only realize now how much I've lost."

There, it was out now. When Roman turned around he looked ten years older.

"I honestly don't know what to say." Seth said after a few minutes of awkward silence.

"That's some deep shit there Ro." Dean started.

"In some way I can see your point, but I'd probably be too selfish to stay away. But if you really love her the way you say, then shouldn't you let her make her own decisions? She should have a right to decide who she wants to be with or not." Dean said.

Roman glared at him and Dean held his hands up in mock surrender.

"I'm not saying you should give her up, but you can't make us stay away from her. Not if we could make her happy too."

The three members of The Shield looked at each other in silence. Their were all adults and they would handle the situation just like that.

In the end it would be Marias decision anyway. Until then, all they could do was hope and pray that they didn't loose their friendship along the way.

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_So, a chapter with our favorite boys only. Next chapter Maria returns. Hope you liked it. _

_Remember the poll is still opened. _

_Please review :) _


	7. Chapter 7

_Hi everybody. I just wanted to inform you, that the poll on who Ria should be with will be closed on Friday 12 am._

_Currently it's neck and neck between Roman and Dean with Roman in the lead by 2 votes._

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After another three days of rest and relaxation, Maria felt strong enough to make her return. She called Vince early in the morning to let him know, she would return that night for RAW. He was happy and told her he'd inform Brad Maddox, the new general manager of RAW, of her return.

Saying goodbye to her sister was hard for Maria but she knew, she'd eventually have to leave. They had agreed that Maria would spend her days off with Arianna and keep her stuff there until she decided where she wanted to live in the future. When Maria was finally on the road, she felt relieved to go back to the job she loved, but also anxious about the situation at hand. She knew, that she couldn't avoid Roman forever, but she'd be damned if she didn't try as long as possible.

She was surprised to find, that by now she was more angry than hurt. One moment he treated her like a princess, fulfilled her every wish and was just the man of her dreams and practically overnight he turned into an ice block who couldn't care less about her.

At first she thought she had done something wrong, but during her stay with Ari she realized, that she didn't do anything wrong. They had long and extensive conversations, replaying every situation Maria could remember, only to find, that she hadn't done anything differently than before. He could at least have had the decency to tell her his reasons. She thought she deserved that much. But even when he found her as hurt and vulnerable as she had been when she was about to leave their home, he hadn't thought it necessary to enlighten her. Instead he took her to bed effectively killing the conversation. Not that she had minded, but looking back to it now she knew, that it had been the wrong thing to do.

Even if he had cheated on her she would've somehow coped with it, but this uncertainty killed her. She needed to know the reason to find her closure and move on.

Shaking her head, Maria tried to concentrate on the road. She arrived at the hotel Vince mentioned to her a little late and she was sure, that all the other Superstars and Divas were already at the arena. She was grateful for a little more time in peace. She knew that as soon as somebody spotted her at the arena, they would be all over her. The guys, because she was really good friends with most of them and the girls because they wanted a confirmation for the break-up that had been predicted for some weeks now.

And then there was Roman. The mood she was currently in, she couldn't guarantee, that she wouldn't slap him into next week. The only things she looked forward to was hopefully a good match for her and seeing Dean and Seth. _Dean._

Maria smiled. She had been genuinely surprised that he seemed to care so much about her. Even after she told him that they had to stop making out every chance they got, he was still there for her, called her and simply listened when she needed a shoulder to cry on. She felt comfortable around him and strangely enough she trusted him more than most people right now.

After checking in and getting her stuff ready, Maria left for the arena, feeling more nervous than for her debut. She arrived at the arena and saw many fans already standing there. When she got closer the fans noticed her and started cheering for her. Maria smiled and immediately felt better. That had been just what she had needed. She signed some autographs and took some photos with the fans before she entered the arena.

Once the door was closed, her nervousness returned full force. She got to the Divas locker room without being seen. When she entered the room, the girls behaved just like she had predicted. She answered the questions in short sentences, never giving away too much information. The only thing she gave away clearly was that she had broken up with Roman, much to the likes of girls like Aksana and Summer Rae. She tried to ignore them and held some small talk with Kaitlyn and Layla.

After some time, she knew it was time to find Maddox. She left the locker room reluctantly. Strangely she only met a few guys like Randy Orton and Kane who welcomed her back warmly. When Maria left Brad Maddox' office she was in a bad mood. He had told her that she wouldn't have a match tonight and if she weren't the champion she wouldn't have a match for a long time after she left that abruptly last week. It only served her determination to stay champion for a long time. She would fight tooth and nail against him. Guys like him didn't last long in this position anyway. She just had to sit that one out.

When she turned the corner on her way back to the locker room she saw the three guys that caused so many different emotions in her. The Shield was warming up for their match. Seth was the first to notice her and immediately smiled widely at her.

"Hey sweetie. What a surprise!" He said while engulfing her in a bone-crushing hug, making her laugh whole-heartedly.

"Wow, I missed you too, baby boy." She smiled at him.

"Baby boy? Are you serious? You're younger than me!" Seth pouted making Maria laugh once again. He just had a way of getting through to her and always cheered her up, no matter how bad her mood was.

While the two of them where bantering, Dean stepped closer until Maria saw him over Seth' shoulder. She smiled at him and walked into his opened arms to hug him. Dean kissed her on the cheek and held her close to him.

"How are you doing Ria? I've missed you." He whispered for only her to hear.

She took a step back and smiled at him.

"I've been better, but I'm getting there. I needed those days off to clear my mind and regain focus." When Maria looked into Dean's eyes, she was surprised by the intensity of emotions written in them. For a moment she was completely lost. He seemed to notice and smiled at her, making her heart beat just a little bit faster. The moment was broken by someone clearing their throat.

Maria stepped out of Deans embrace to look at Roman standing awkwardly behind Dean. She felt so much emotion in that moment and it confused her to no end. She was angry and hurt and wanted to punch Roman, then again she wanted to kiss him and forgive him, forget everything that had happened, but she knew she couldn't. She felt Seth come up behind her and put a hand on her shoulder. She turned around to see both Seth and Dean standing supportively behind her. In that moment she only wanted to curl into one of them, hide away from the world and feel save and loved. That's when realization hit Maria. She now recognized the emotion both guys had written onto their faces while looking at her.

This was turning into an all out disaster. She felt flattered that such wanted guys like them could be interested, but she knew that now wasn't the time to think about other guys. She shook her head. She would deal with them later.

She once again looked up at Dean and Seth, seeing them looking at her unsure of what to do.

"I've got this, boys." She smiled reassuringly.

"Are you gonna be alright?" Seth asked concerned.

Maria nodded and both guys turned around and left, to give Roman and Maria some space.

They stood there awkwardly, not knowing what to say.

"I love you, Ria." Roman was the first to break the silence.

"Don't. I don't want to hear it." Maria said. She knew the next words were going to change everything but she had to stay focused and determined.

"I just want to know why, so I can get closure and move on." She said determined.

Roman looked at her shocked. He was so sure that she would never leave him. He knew he had been acting like an ass towards her, but she had always been so forgiving.

"Please, let me explain. I love you Ria. Don't leave me like that."

Maria felt her determination slip, but willed herself to stay strong. Suddenly the anger she had felt earlier returned full force.

"Oh yes, you will explain. In detail. And I swear if you don't start I'm gonna kick it out of you." She almost yelled now. Again Roman was speechless. She never raised her voice. An indication for the depth of the hurt and betrayal she was feeling.

Roman mentioned to an empty office and closed the door behind them, before he started to tell her exactly what he had told his friends.

Maria stood there, listening intently. She couldn't believe what she heard. After Roman had finished he looked at her anxiously. He was dumbstruck when she simply started to laugh. Not a bubbly relieved laugh, but a hollow sarcastic laugh.

"Are you serious?" she asked incredulously. Roman simply nodded in response.

"You're ashamed because we had wild, crazy, hot sex and I carried some bruises away from that?"

"Yeah."

"I can't believe you. You're worrying about manhandling me, even though I told you I was okay with it and that I even enjoyed it. What you should be damned ashamed of is the fact that you cheated on me!" now she was full out screaming.

"I swear you're such an asshole. You almost fucked a ring rat and the only thing you're worried about is some bruises? You're unbelievable! I always thought that you would never do that to me. I trusted you, I'm out. This is just too much shit to take."

She went to storm out the room, but Roman grabbed her arm and looked at her pleadingly with unshed tears in his eyes.

"Please, Ria. I love you. Give me another chance."

She just shook her head and looked at her feet.

"You knew about my history with cheaters. I thought you were different, I thought you were better. I don't know if I could ever trust you again."

With that she left the room and Roman behind, feeling ready to break down.

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_Hope you liked it. _

_Please review :) _


	8. AN

Hey everyone,

I just have to say a very big thank you to all my fabulous readers. Your reviews really make my day.

Also, I wanted to remind you, that the poll will be closed down tomorrow, so if you haven't voted yet, that's the last chance to vote for your fav.

Love ya,

Mona


	9. Chapter 8

_So, finally another chapter. As you can see on my profile, the poll has ended up being a draw between Roman and Dean. It took me some time to decide what to make of it. Since I don't want to disappoint anybody I decided to continue this story with Roman and Maria but I will also post an alternative storyline following Dean and Maria. The title is Teach me how to love. Check it out :)_

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After Maria walked out on Roman, she made her way to catering. She had missed a lot of people and a good distraction was just what she needed right now. She was even happy that she didn't have a match that night, since she was too afraid she might botch her moves while she was in this mood. Maria couldn't believe what she had just heard. She was so disappointed with Roman. Just weeks ago she had been sure, that he was the man for her. The guy she could trust unconditionally cause he would never hurt her. Or so she thought. In some twisted way she found it cute, that he cared about her well-being and that he was so concerned that he might have physically hurt her. On the other hand Maria felt like someone had ripped her heart out. Roman had almost slept with another woman. Sure, it hadn't actually happened but she still felt betrayed. He had been willing to do it without thinking about her. What guarantee did she have that he wouldn't have more weak moments?

Back in that office he had looked so miserable that she almost felt sorry for him. Almost. Just thinking about his eyes and the look of love and regret made her knees go week. She couldn't imagine ever living a life without him there for her. She had wanted a future with him so badly, that she obviously didn't see anything else around her. She hadn't realized what was wrong with Roman and she certainly hadn't noticed that his team mates seemed to have feelings for her as well. What a mess.

When she came into catering she was warmly welcomed by her friends and with Daniel Bryan and Dolph Ziggler being their usual bubbly selves she was cheered up in no time. After they had finished their match, Dean and Seth joined the little group. Now that Maria knew about the situation, she thought about how dumb she actually was.

All the little smiles, gestures and meaningful glances she received from the two younger Shield members spoke a language of their own. How couldn't she have seen it? Did Dean already have those feelings for her when they were sneaking around? Had she subconsciously led him on? And what about Seth? Did he have those feelings for her when he cheered her up after particular nasty fights with Roman?

Oh god, now she felt really bad. In her time with Ari, she had felt like Dean and Seth would always be there for her. They cared for her well-being and cheered her up when she needed it. She had called them at every possible time of the day, even in the middle of the night and not once had they been mean or grumpy about it. Aside from her sister, they had been her rocks and she was afraid that she would loose both guys because of their feelings that she just couldn't return. Sure, both guys were absolutely handsome and special in their own ways, but she just loved Roman and at this point she wasn't sure if that would ever change. She didn't know how to explain that to them though. Thankfully Natty chose that moment to bring the topic up.

"So Ria, how about we go out tonight and look for some fresh meat?" she wiggled her eyebrows, making everyone laugh.

"Going out is fine with me, but I'm so not looking for anybody else. Seriously, I'm just done with guys. All they ever do is lie, cheat and be selfish. I've had enough of that for the next 10 years." The answers to Maria's comment were a lot of _heys_ and _that's not fair_ from the guys.

She could see the disappointment in Dean's and Seth' eyes but chose to ignore it. It wasn't the most sensitive way to turn them down, but it was the easiest at the moment. Maria wasn't sure how much more complicated situations she could take at the moment.

"Okay, so going out it is. And no moping around girl or else I'm gonna put you over my knee." Natty warned her.

"I'll behave, I promise." Maria smiled at Natty.

So after the show, they headed back to the hotel and got ready for their night out. Maria chose not to dress up too fancy, simply putting on some black skinny jeans, a purple halter top and the matching purple high heels. She kept her make-up simple and only curled her hair into loose waves.

The night went by surprisingly fast and Ria was really enjoying herself. She danced a lot and had a few drinks, not enough to make her drunk though. Thankfully she didn't have any time to think about everything that had happened. She noticed that many of the Superstars were there as well, though they kept to themselves, leaving the girls to themselves as well. Maria was surprised to find that Roman turned every woman down, that offered herself to him, no matter how attractive they were. She couldn't help but feel excited about that. Maybe he really wasn't interested in anyone but her.

She shook her head. That was none of her concern anymore, she thought sadly. Suddenly her mood was ruined and all she wanted to do was get away. She told Natty she didn't feel well and would return to the hotel. They said their goodbyes and decided to have lunch together the next day.

After Maria had arrived at the hotel, she changed into black shorts and a white tank when there was a knock on her door. She guessed it was Natty who felt guilty for letting her leave alone. So, when she opened the door smiling, she couldn't be more surprised.

"Roman, what do you want?" she asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I needed to see you" the obviously very drunk Samoan slurred out.

"I don't want to see you. Go to back to…" she couldn't finish her sentence when Roman pressed his lips to hers and kissed her passionately.

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_Hope you liked it. PM me if you're interested in an OS about Ria and Seth. _

_Please review :) _


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